Title: LIVE THE STORY
Focus: Participate in the gospel story and live!
Function: To move the people to embrace the gospel by entering the story of Jesus and living out of it.
Text: Mark 1:1-13
“The future belongs to the storyteller,” Steven Spielberg once
said. (as reported by
Leonard Sweet). Spielberg is one of Hollywood’s most well known
storytellers. He knows how to spin a yarn and depict a story on film. If
Spielberg is right in saying that the future belongs to the storyteller, then
the future, in my opinion, belongs to Mark, the evangelist. For Mark introduces
us to the most wondrous story ever told with these words: “The beginning
of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
On this second Sunday of Advent, Christians all over the world, celebrate the story of Jesus Christ. That story is “gospel.” The story of Jesus Christ coming into the world is a good news story. But sometimes I fear that we are missing out on the significance of Jesus’ coming. Secular forces, for example, are busy silencing the name of Jesus in public. Some retailers are changing the “merry Christmas” greeting into a “happy holidays” greeting. The Christmas tree becomes the “holiday tree.” And some judges in the country try to ban manger scenes and other Christian symbols from any public places.
But these kinds of things, I think, should not surprise us. Hostility to the name of Jesus will most likely increase in the years to come. No, I worry at times about people like you and me who have heard the gospel of Jesus preached for a long time. After all, familiarity with Jesus’ story may lead to an attitude of “yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that before.” Or familiarity may lead to the assumption that we “know it all,” that there is nothing more to explore for us or to marvel at.
Today, I invite you to explore with me the good news of Jesus Christ. Take note of the story as told by Mark, the evangelist. And most of all, participate in the story and live the story every day. In that way, we’ll discover the power, the freshness, and the wonder of God’s saving work on our behalf.
From the start Mark wants our attention. Listen: (vs. 1) “The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Mark’s story is a good news story. He refers to it as “gospel.” And the first thing that Mark does is to connect the good news story of Jesus Christ with God the Creator and the creation story. The creation story in Genesis one says: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The good news story in Mark one says: “The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ….”
Decades later, another disciple of Jesus begins his gospel with the opening line: (John 1:1) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” The gospel writers, then, (Mark included) capture our attention by linking the story of Jesus Christ the Savior of the world, with the story of God the Father, the Creator of the world.
There are people today who suggest that we should throw out the Old Testament. “Only the New Testament is relevant for Christians,” they say. “The God of the Old Testament is not the same God of Jesus Christ in the New Testament,” they say; and whereas the Old Testament is all about law and legalism, the New Testament is all about love and grace. “So, away with the Old Testament,” they say. But that is a huge mistake. The wondrous story of Jesus Christ connects us with creation and the Creator.
This observation becomes even clearer as we consider how Mark links the good news story of Jesus with the Old Testament prophets--Isaiah and Malachi. Combining the words of the prophet Malachi with the words of Isaiah, Mark says: “It is written in Isaiah the prophet: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way’—‘a voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” In other words, the story about Jesus has its roots in the prophetic announcements of Old Testament Israel.
Without always clearly understanding their prophetic utterances, the O.T. prophets spoke of Jesus’ coming. They longed to see the salvation of God’s people, but they never saw the Savior with their own eyes. That privilege belongs to John the Baptizer. Centuries ago, bishop Cyril of Jerusalem said (ACCoS, p.2): “Among those born of women there is none greater than John. He is the crown of all the prophetic tradition.” Why is John the “crown” of all the prophets? John not only spoke of the Savior called “Jesus.” He also saw him with his own eyes. John the Baptizer, then, bridges the O.T. era of law and the N.T. period of gospel. The wondrous good news of Jesus Christ bursts into public view with the work of John the Baptizer.
The story of Jesus is wondrous, indeed. Have you captured its vision of God? Have you noticed in Mark’s gospel how the beauty and wonder of God’s nature comes to us? Mark refers to this man called Jesus, as the “Son of God.” Jesus is the Son of God in the flesh. As John baptizes Jesus, we hear the voice of God the Father bearing witness to Jesus saying: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” And at once we notice the Spirit descending on Jesus like a dove. God the Spirit, then, confirms that Jesus is truly the Son of God.
So, at the beginning of Jesus’ saving work, God reveals himself to all the world as triune God: The Father in the voice from heaven; The Son in the man (or flesh) called Jesus; and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. This is mystery!
Ah, the gospel story of Jesus is wondrous in scope as well. It involves heaven and earth. As Jesus comes up from the waters of baptism in the Jordan River, Mark tells us that Jesus “saw heaven being torn open….” Ever since the human race fell into sin, the heavens were closed to us. Our sins prevent us from having access to God. But now that Jesus begins his work of salvation, we see a good news sign: the heavens are being torn open.
Ah, the wideness of Jesus’ story! Heaven and earth, the natural and the supernatural, the physical and the spiritual—they all intersect; even Satan appears on the scene: after Jesus’ baptism, Jesus has a confrontation with the devil himself. Satan looses the confrontation; and we notice that angels from heaven support and attend to an exhausted Jesus.
At the very beginning of his saving work on earth, Jesus signals that he is going to provide access to God; By taking upon himself our sins—as symbolized in his baptism—the Lord Jesus shows us what is to come: he will take our place; he will die that we may live; he will rise from the dead, that we may live forevermore. He will restore the old creation and make it new again. Heaven and earth will be united. And all of humanity will have the opportunity to enter the throne room and presence of God through the work of Jesus Christ.
So far, we have noticed that the good news story about Jesus connects us with the story of God’s creation; it links us with the prophets of the Old Testament, and it’s filled with wonder in its vision of the triune God and the heavenly realms. “So what?” you say. “Why should I embrace this story of Jesus Christ, the Son of God?” Because it beckons us to join Jesus in his work of salvation. The story of Jesus has a hook in it.
John the Baptizer comes to us today
with that hook. As God’s herald, proclaiming forgiveness of sin found in the
Lord Jesus Christ, John cries out to you and me: “prepare the way for the
Lord.”
You see, congregation, Jesus is seeking entrance into our heart, and mind, and soul. Jesus seeks to capture our whole being, so that we experience his salvation, so that we come under the influence of his heavenly rule. Here is how we prepare the way:
Repentance calls for a turn around, a turning away from that what is sinful in God’s eyes. Living a life of repentance involves U-turn living: not the way of pride, but humility; not the way of hatred, but love; not the way of bitterness, but gentleness; not my way of selfishness, but God’s way of obedience; not the way of sin, Satan and the world, but the way of Christ, the Lord of heaven and earth. Living a life of repentance is an excellent way to prepare for Jesus to enter your life, your sphere of influence. Here’s another way:
church helps us do so every week by calling people to worship on Sundays. Every Sunday we may participate in the work of God as we celebrate and remember and anticipate the things that God—in Christ—has done, is doing, and as yet will do.
For example, during the Sundays of Advent, the stories of Jesus’ first and final comings shape us. During the season of Christmas, the songs, and prayers, and the stories of God taking on our human nature form us as disciples of Christ. During the season of Epiphany we note how Jesus reveals himself to the world. During the season of Lent, we ponder the significance of Jesus’ suffering and death; On Easter Sunday and throughout the season of Easter, we celebrate and give thanks for the resurrection life that we may have through faith in Christ Jesus. And on Pentecost Sunday and throughout the rest of the summer season we ponder our role as followers of Jesus, sent by Christ’s Spirit to declare good news.
By living the story on a weekly, yes daily basis, we participate in Jesus’ life. And in doing so, we experience the power of resurrection and the comfort of belonging to Christ.
In the name of the Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit. Amen.